Nintendo Wii White Console

I'm generally not the type of person who plays video games. Sure, when I was younger I had my SEGA Dreamcast and Nintendo 64, but I never took full advantage of them; something about sitting in a room playing games on a TV for 13 hours wasn't that appealing to me (though, I'll tell you, those Mario games are addicting). Nevertheless, it's the twenty-first century and technology has involved into something bigger, better, and…more addicting: the Wii by Nintendo.

Wii is more than just a video game console. Fine, yes, you can play videogames, but the menu on the Wii offers many more features. For example, you can make your own character and save it as a "Mii." You can upload photos, view the weather, get the news, shop for Wii products, go on the internet for free, and view Wii message boards. For $250, that seems pretty cool to me. Nevertheless, some of these features seem to be a little bit over-the-top. Even simply getting the video game features for this price would be sufficient.

As if you didn't know already, the Wii isn't like any other video game console. For beginners, the Wii actually has gameplay motion software installed in its remote (which I like to call the "Wiimote"), and this software is used to play the games. There is also a Nanchuk, which is more like a secondary remote; it is used only for games that require both hands. It also has the gameplay motion software installed, and I haven't recognized any differences between the motion detection for either remote. In order to use the Nanchuk it must be attached to the primary remote, and it comes with the console so there is no need to go and buy it separately.

The Nanchuk doesn't have a strap while the primary remote does. Therefore, your prominent and most active hand should always hold the remote with the strap since it is the one you will be using most intensely; this will help reduce any problems such as accidentally throwing it, breaking the TV, hitting someone in the face, etc. As a matter of fact, when Wii was first released, the original strap was so flimsy that such incidents did occur. However, the more updated model has a thicker and stronger strap.

One current downfall that the Wii has is that its remotes are so hard to find. Since the Nanchuk can only be used as a secondary remote for games that require both hands, not as a second remote for a two-player game, additional remotes must be purchased in order to play games that can host more than one player. I, as well as others, have had a hard time finding spare remotes to buy independently. While it isn't expected for more than one remote to be provided, extra ones should be made readily available in stores.

The Wii, which unfortunately does not play DVD's, comes with a 5-game sports pack, Wii Sports. The games include tennis, bowling, baseball, boxing and golf. It's pretty unique for a launch product, such as the Wii, to come packaged with games. However, it's important to note that very few games have been released for the console as of yet, so this is definitely a positive - you don't have to wait weeks or months for games to be released so that you can start using the console.

In any case, Wii Sports is actually pretty cool, and it helps you get used to the fact that a good amount of games for this console require hand motions. Tennis, for example, requires that you swing your arm to serve the ball as well as return it. The strength with which you "hit" the ball is a factor - it will change the speed at which the ball goes over the net - though I think that this feature could have been made more realistic. I also dislike that, since the tennis game is 2 v 2 (if you only have one remote then the other player on your team is computerized), you either play up front or in the back. However, the Wii automatically moves your character; you cannot choose where to go within the court. While I understand that this would be very hard to implement in a video game console, it detracts from the realistic feeling that Nintendo is going for.

So while the tennis game lacks a bit, I think that the boxing matches are a lot more fun…and intense. This game matches you up against (fake) boxers, and you can also choose some practice trials just to get a feel for the game. Since boxing is a two-hand sport, the Nanchuk is also required. Since I am right handed, I use the remote in my right hand and the Nanchuk in my left; I use my right hand for punches and my left hand for jabs. Nevertheless, the boxing match actually makes me build up a sweat since I'm swinging my arms all over the place. The motion sensors also recognize when you are protecting your face from being punched. Basically, you can block punches, throw punches, and attempt to knock the other guy out. Depending on your intensity, knock-outs can either be quick or they can take a long time. I have yet to lose a match.

As far as graphics go, since this is the first game for the Wii, they aren't anything special. The tennis graphics are not realistic at all; in fact, it's almost as if a scene was taken out of low-budget cartoon. The boxing graphics are a little bit more detailed than those of the tennis game, though they are still below average. I think that as the Wii matures, facial expressions will become more detailed and easy to recognize; as of now, such expressions are zilch.

The great thing about the Wii is that you can play some games while sitting (such as Zelda), but there are also active games which are much more intense while standing up (such as Dragonball Z Budokai Tenkaichi - which has more realistic graphics than the boxing game). In today's society many parents are paranoid about their children becoming obese or not being active enough. However, the Wii does help decrease such issues to an extent; in all honesty, I really built up a sweat while playing that boxing game. While I wouldn't recommend the Wii to replace normal exercise, it's better than sitting on the couch and playing Mario Cart.

In closing, it's obvious to me that Wii is one of the more innovative and unique video game consoles to ever hit store shelves. The gameplay motion software is certainly different from anything I have seen, and this feature really increases the overall addictiveness of the console. For the new system's first games, I think that the infancy of the graphic development is well expected. Nevertheless, I definitely feel that Wii is the most intense and most fun out of any other video game system that I have tried. I would certainly recommend it.